Mardi Gras Picks: February 17—19

Miniature size, maximum fun at 'tit Rəx on February 18 in New Orleans.

The region is as littered with Mardi Gras parades as the street with beads this February. Here we present a few of our favorites, but there are plenty where these came from. The parade roundup in Acadiana is summed up nicely at lafayettetravel.com while mardigrasneworleans.com provides in-depth information on New Orleans-area parades. In general, the websites of parish tourism offices are good resources. Happy Mardi Gras!

February 17

• [UPDATE! POSTPONED UNTIL FEBRUARY 18 AT 7 PM.] Krewe of Artemis, 7 pm, Baton Rouge: The first all-female krewe in Baton Rouge begins and ends at the corner of St. Philip Street and Government Street. Revelers will be treated to themed throws, including the Krewe of Artemis’ signature High Heeled Shoe. kreweofartemis.net.

• Krewe of Eve, 7 pm, Mandeville: It began with six women, and now has over five hundred members (who wear elaborately decorated sweatshirts). With beautifully decorated Blaine Kern floats, this parade begins on LA-22 and continues down West Causeway Approach above Monroe Street, crossing 190 and ending on East Causeway Approach. kreweofeve.com.

February 18

• Krewe of Chewbacchus, 7 pm, New Orleans: An Intergalactic krewe comprised of six hundred self-professed sci-fi geeks pursuing the mission of “saving the galaxy one drunken nerd at a time.” This year, the nine hundred members rejoice over a visit from Chewbacca himself, Peter Mayhew, and Andy Richter, professional sidekick to Conan O’Brien. Members will be pushing, pedaling, and pulling homemade contraptions; and the pièce de résistance will be an eleven-foot tall golden effigy of Chewbacchus himself. chewbacchus.org.

• Krewe Mystique de la Capitale, 2 pm, Baton Rouge: The city’s oldest parading Mardi Gras krewe will be joined this year by Krewe of Romany and Krewe of Iduna. Family oriented and fun for all ages, it starts at the River Center and winds around downtown. krewemystique.com.

• Krewe of Push Mow Parade, 11 am, Abita Springs: Dozens of humorously themed homemade floats, most based on lawnmowing equipment, take part in this rousing cruise through the heart of town. Begins and ends at the Abita Springs Trailhead. louisiananorthshore.com.

• Krewe of Olympia, 6 pm, Covington: The oldest parade in St. Tammany, King Zeus’ identity is kept secret until the parade, which starts on Columbia Street and follows a route along Highway 21 to Jefferson, 15th, Tyler, West 23rd, and back through downtown again. kreweofolympia.net.

February 19

CAAWS Mystic Krewe of Mutts Parade, 2 pm, Baton Rouge: Trot out your pets for this annual dress up day for the dogs. Not ones to leave our fur babies out of the fun, Baton Rouge is one of many towns in Louisiana that holds a Mardi Gras parade for man’s best friend. It starts at North Boulevard at Town Square from 10 am– 4 pm, including food, shopping, demos, contests, a costume contest, and the parade at 2 pm. caaws.org.